Strategic HR

New Study Reveals What’s Hindering Productivity in Your Workplace

Nintex, which specializes in workflow and content automation, has released a new study revealing the most broken processes in American workplaces and how they contribute to employee satisfaction and performance.

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The study, called the “Definitive Guide to America’s Most Broken Processes,” found that a third of employees at U.S. companies (with more than 1,000 employees) are currently looking for new jobs, with the vast majority (86%) citing their company’s broken processes as a driving factor behind this decision.

One commonality found in the research is that the top five issues are unspecialized, repetitive tasks that fall in the long tail of business processes, which must be automated to drive efficiency, efficacy, and employee satisfaction.

“Broken processes within American enterprises like trouble contacting IT and inconsistent performance reviews are taking a serious toll on employee morale and increasingly becoming a top concern for C-suite leaders,” says Nintex CEO John Burton—in a press release of the findings. “Given the Nintex study findings, it’s clear that automating the long tail of business processes can no longer be postponed. By automating processes, business leaders can ensure a strong foundation for positively improving employee retention and productivity.”

Below is a brief overview of a few of the issues the survey uncovered.

Inefficient IT Teams Cause Shadow IT and Security Threats

Sixty-two percent of employees observe broken IT processes within their organization, making this the most problematic department across today’s workplaces. Only 24% of employees report very prompt service from in-house IT teams, and that number dropped to a mere 7% for remote IT teams.

As a result, employees increasingly threaten enterprise security by engaging in shadow IT (using an unsanctioned app or device at work), with nearly half of Millennials (46%) doing so in direct response to delayed IT troubleshooting and over-complicated technology that is difficult for the line of business to navigate.

What’s more, the biggest culprits of shadow IT are, in fact, IT professionals themselves; 60% have used unsanctioned apps or devices because of unresolved IT problems.

Untapped Potential and Unclear Career Paths Drive Employee Turnover

With more than two-thirds (67%) of respondents believing their company’s broken processes prevent them from maximizing their potential, it’s no surprise inefficiency is a driving force behind employee turnover.

While digitally-native Millennials are particularly likely to cite broken processes as a reason for quitting, 35% of Gen X employees are also actively job hunting (revealing a broader, cross-generational issue).

Additionally, 53% of employees observe broken administrative processes (like promotions) in their workplace, among which only 13% say their career path is “very clearly” defined. Without a clear path for advancement, employees don’t stick around long; 63% of employees who say processes for advancement are not clearly defined are looking for new jobs.

Most Employees Don’t Know Who to Blame for Broken Processes

When it comes to addressing broken processes, most employees don’t agree on who’s to blame. For IT shortcomings, a quarter of IT employees blame the CEO, but only 13% of total respondents do. When it comes to broken onboarding processes, a much larger percentage (20%) hold the CEO accountable, yet 53% blame HR.

“In many organizations, broken processes are everywhere. But, due to IT’s countless other priorities, most companies have designated them as unsolvable issues,” says Nintex SVP Technology Strategy Ryan Duguid. “Fortunately advancements in intelligent process automation solutions are changing all of this. In 2018 and beyond, American workers should feel empowered as the technology is available today to easily automate, orchestrate and optimize their own business processes, eliminating frustration and ensuring everyone is better equipped to reach top potential.”

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